The restoration of the Old Parliament House led by the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) has won the Architecture and Building Conservation Category in the 2023 National Trust (ACT) Heritage Awards.

Following a fire in December 2021 that caused considerable damage to both the interior and exterior of the nearly 100-year-old iconic building, remediation works were initiated as a collaborative project led by the MoAD Heritage and Capital projects team and delivered by multiple project partners including Manteena Security (Aust) Pty Ltd, International Conservation Services, Celia Cramer Conservation, Conservation Works, Eric Martin & Associates, and Art and Archival.

Old Parliament House Fire Remediation Project team

Museum of Australian Democracy staff and project partners from the ‘Old Parliament House Fire Remediation Project’ team are presented with a 2023 National Trust (ACT) heritage award

The award acknowledges the effort of many people and organisations who worked with care and determination to restore the beloved building to its former glory, MoAD director Stephanie Bull said.

As part of the conservation and restoration project, a works program was delivered to remediate widespread soot contamination, and fire and water damage. The whole building was meticulously cleaned, and conservators worked to retain and reconstruct key features such as the front doors and timber parquetry in the front foyer.

Key highlights of the Old Parliament House Fire Remediation Project:

Front doors: Due to their laminated construction with four layers, around 65 percent of the original doors could be retained. The outer layer of timber was irreparable and had to be fully replaced. Conservators used close-matching jarrah wood to replace the damaged sections.

Portico: The portico was reconstructed based on the original 1959 design and the original steel frame was re-used.

Front foyer: As a result of severe water damage, the foyer was reconstructed using salvaged jarrah wood from demolished houses in WA that were built in the 1920s and 1930s. This resulted in the replica floor looking very similar to the original.

Branko Miletic

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